Research news

Apoptosis eliminates the asymmetry of plasma membrane phospholipids and exposes phosphatidylserine on the outside of cells. Fadok et al. report in the May 4 Nature that they have found a phagocyte protein that recognizes the phosphatidylserine (Nature 2000, 405:85-90). Addition of the receptor to lymphocytes allows the cells to engulf apoptotic
cells. Engagement of the receptor on macrophages induces the production of anti-inflammatory
TGF-b consistent with the absence of inflammation during apoptosis.

References

Exposure of phosphatidylserine on the surface of apoptotic lymphocytes triggers specific
recognition and removal by macrophages.